Benjamin s



B. HENNING. IVING RAILWAY CARS Patented Jan. 27, 1891.

NITEDO STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN S. IIENNING, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

DRIVING RAI LWAY CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,404, dated January 27, 1891.

Application filed June 12, 1890- Serial No. 355,190- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN S. llENN-ING, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, New York county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Railway-Cars, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to reduce the power required, and consequently the expense, in driving railway-cars, especially upon underground wavs or tunnels and theinvention consists in the use of a way having two or ,more series of inclines, a cable extending thelength of the way, and motor therefor, and a car or cars connect-ed with the cable so as to aid in driving the latter in descendingand thereby store up or utilize power to be employed in driving the cable on the upgrade.

In the drawings, showing diagrammatic views, Figure 1 represents a tunnel system with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, showing a double track. Fig. 3 is section showing an under round track of a city-railway illustrating my improvement.

In underground railways, whether as tunnels beneath rivers or ways extending beneath the streets of the city where the cars must be brought to the surface, as at the ends of a river tunnel, or to or near the surface, as at the stations, in a line beneath the city, there are inclines which the cars must descend and ascend; and it is the object of my invention to make use of such inclines as a means of facilitating the propulsion of the cars without the objections incident to the use of steam or other motor carried by the cars. To this end I make use of a cable driven by a steam-engine or other suitable motor and extending the length of the track which the cars must travel, said cars being provided with suitable grips or attachments for connecting with the cable and the track having two or more inclines. Thus in the tunnel construction shown in Fig. 1 there are two terminal inclines 2 2, and there also maybe an intermediate level 7 of any re quired length, and the cable 3 in proper sections passes round drums or pulleys l 5 6 6, one of which is a driving-pulley operated from any suitable motor. If the car 0 starts down the left incline 2, it will move by gravity, and if the incline is sufficient at the proper speed, and being connected with the cable will propel or aid in propelling the latter, so as to store up power, as when compressed air or electricity is used, or otherwise supplies a power which may be stored up or utilized, as described hereinafter.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 the draft of the car upon the cable in descending carries the cable, turns the pulley 5, and drives therefrom the dynamo D, and the current from the latter is stored up and used to aid in driving the motor when the car is passing up the opposite incline.

\Vh on there is a double track, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the driving-pulleys 4: l of the two tracks are connected to turn together, so that the descent of one car driving one cable will act to drive the other cable with which the other car may engage in ascending, so that but little additional power is required from the motor to lift the second car.

The cars may pass back and forth on the same track or maybe switched from one back to the other, passing only in one direction on each track. 7 7

When there is a long track, as in underground ways in cities, there is a series of inclin es between the points a: m where there are stations, and in such case the cars engage the cable continuously, so that the weight of each car in descending aids in driving the cars that are upon the levels or on the up grades.

\Vithout limiting myself to the arrangements shown or to the use of any special motor power, I claim- The combination, with a track having two or more reverse inclines, of a cable extending the length of the track, one or more cars and means for continuously connecting them with the cable, and means for utilizing the movement of the cable when driven bya carin descending to store up power in the cable-motor, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof. I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN S. HENNING. Witnesses:

ALEX. CURTIS, CHARLES E. Fosrnn. 

